


Mind Over Matter

by aliceihavebeen



Series: Tread Lightly [4]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Fairy Godmother Lance, First Dates, Getting Together, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Post Season 7, Shiro in a suit, Socially Awkward Keith (Voltron), not season 8 canon compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-15
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-09-18 14:19:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16996617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aliceihavebeen/pseuds/aliceihavebeen
Summary: Lance helps Keith get ready for his first date with Shiro (bickering and bonding pursue) & Keith is reminded of why he loves Shiro so much, and how things can really be now that everything has calmed down.





	Mind Over Matter

**Author's Note:**

> Well. Hopefully this serves some purpose in helping us heal. I haven't even watched season 8 solely because I can't handle that much emotional upheaval at the moment. So here's a cute fluffy installment of the post season 7 series I created.  
> I actually ended up renaming this from my drafts because the song just didn't really follow the story I wanted to really tell. But this is an oldie but a goodie from Young the Giant. Hope you enjoy.

 

" _And if the world don't break,_

_ I'll be shaking it _

_ Cause I'm a young man after all _

_ And when the seasons change _

_ Will you stand by me? _

_Cause I'm a young man built to fall_ " -Young the Giant

“Oh my god Lance, why the fuck are you even here?” 

“Come on, I’m practically your fairy godmother!” Lance screeched. Keith side-eyed him from where he stood in front of the full-length mirror trying to get his tie on. It’s been a while since he had to dress this formal. But Shiro said semi-formal, so he’d undergo the discomfort.

“You know it’s true!”

“Yeah, you literally just yelled ‘Keith is in love with you’ and ran. Thanks for that by the way.” Keith deadpanned, pulling out the knot. It looked wonky. 

“You’re welcome. And oh my god just give it to me!” Lance said pulling the tie from Keith’s hands.

“Hey!” Keith yelled.

“You’re what, 21, and you can’t even do a damn tie knot?” Lance snided as he whipped the tie around his neck and deftly began making the simple knot.

“Sorry that my Paladin training didn’t prepare me to wear formal wear.” Keith said, crossing his arms over his chest.

“And there we go.” Lance said proudly, loosening the tie and slipping it over his head.

“Watch the hair.” Keith warned as Lance slipped the tie over Keith’s head. 

“You mean the mullet.”

“It’s not even a mullet anymore! I have it in a ponytail!”

“Once a mullet head always a mullet head.” Lance smirked as he folded down Keith's collar and finished tightening it around his neck.

“There.” He said proudly, smacking Keith’s shoulder. “Now you look like a man. A man with a ponytail.” Lance finished with a wink.

“Oh my god.” Keith groaned, shaking his head. But once the playful banter was finished he looked in the mirror and he had to admit, he did look good. Older even.

“Thanks.” Keith said softly.

“Anytime man.” Lance said, patting his shoulder one last time.

If anyone had told Keith five years ago that Lance McClain would end up being one of his best friends, he’d of probably punched them in the face. But here they were.

Keith pulled out his phone to check the time. He had planned to leave five minutes ago.

“Shit, gotta go.” He said, grabbing his shoes as he walked towards the door. He put them on last. They were brand new and hurt like a bitch. But they looked good, and the salesman promised they’d be comfortable once they were broken in. If he even ever wore them enough to get to that stage.

“Hey, do you want me to take Kosmo over to my place? You know, in case,” Lance began bouncing his eyebrows up and down to signify the meaning. Keith rolled his eyes.

“No, he’s fine.” Keith said, but paused. Was that part of tonight? Was that how it was going to work? It was their first date sure, but they’d known each other for several years. He bit his lip, wondering if he made a mistake going on this fancy ass date. It was too much. He should have just insisted they order pizza and drink a few beers while watching some stupid space drama.

“Calm down. I’m kidding. Don’t overthink it, okay. Just have fun. And let me know when you wanna double date with me and Allura.” Lance said as he walked out the door, Keith following him.

“Yeah that’s not happening.” Keith said.

“That’s not what your boyfriend said.” Lance teased.

“Bye Lance.”

“Bye my beautiful princess!” Lance said as he ran down the hallway. It was smart because Keith was seconds away from clocking him. The prince-charming-fairy-godmother thing was getting old.

 

* * *

 

 

Keith had taken a taxi to the restaurant Shiro had told him to meet him at. He figured showing up on his bike would raise too many eyebrows. He stood awkwardly outside for a minute, checking his phone to see if Shiro had texted him to let him know whether he was already there or not. The only new message was from Lance. Keith didn’t even bother opening it. He could see from the preview it was a gif. Probably something stupid.

Keith sighed, pocketing his phone and biting the bullet. Everything inside looked expensive. Even the smell of the place seemed high dollar. He walked over to the maître d' and gave her Shiro’s name. He watched the woman scan over a list before she nodded and told him that their table wasn’t ready yet, but that he could wait at the bar. Keith nodded, and went down the hall to where the bar was. 

He sat at the counter and picked up the list of drinks. He had never heard of any of it. When the bartender stopped in front of him and asked what he’d like, he sputtered for a second.

“Um, your cheapest beer?” Keith said.

“I’m sorry, we don’t have beer here.” They replied. Keith swallowed back the horrible out of place feeling that felt like it was going to consume him.

“Just, your cheapest alcoholic drink.” The bartender nodded. Keith pulled out his phone, worrying his lip again. Still nothing from Shiro. He was drafting out a message to him when suddenly a warm hand landed on his shoulder. He turned quickly to see Shiro. In that instant Keith’s mouth went dry and everything narrowed down to Shiro. Keith didn’t know a suit could look like that. He was wearing a dark grey suit that looked like it  _ just  _ barely fit him. He had on a white collared shirt and a skinny black tie and somehow the monotone colors made him stand out rather than blend in. When Keith finally met his gaze he blushed. Shiro was smiling at him like he knew exactly what Keith was thinking. He probably did. Keith realized he wasn’t being very subtle.

“Uh, hey.” Keith said, immediately wanting to slap himself at the dumb greeting.

“Hey yourself.” Shiro smirked. Keith went red.

A small glass of something hazy was placed on the counter in front of Keith. He was tempted to down it. But that would just make his nervousness even more obvious than it already was. This was Shiro for heaven’s sake. The person Keith had known most of his life. He hated how nervous he was now when nothing had really changed. Not yet at least.

Shiro cleared his throat and waved at the bartender.

“Hi, could I get your beer list?” Shiro asked. Keith grinned like a cat as he watched the unamused face of the bartender. It was a hell of a lot funnier when it wasn’t directed at him.

“I’m sorry sir, but we don’t serve beer here.” They said.

“Oh. Um. Nevermind then I guess.” 

Keith grinned. At least he wasn’t the only fish out of water. 

Keith raised the glass of the hazy liquid and tipped it towards Shiro.

“You too?” He said.

“Yup. I just asked for the cheapest thing they had. Not sure if I’m brave enough to drink it though.” Keith sighed, pulling it up under his nose to take a whiff. It smelled like lighter fluid. “Oh god, nevermind.” Keith pulled a face, setting the glass back on the counter and pushing it away from him.

“Sorry, was this too much?” Shiro asked, squinting a little bit with a guilty look on his face.

“Kind of. But I get to see you in a suit, so. Worth it.”

Shiro grinned, ducking his head. 

“You look good. Lance did a good job with the tie.” Shiro said with a shy smirk.

“What?” Keith stuttered. 

“He sent me this about an hour ago.” Shiro said, pulling up a picture from a text conversation with Lance. It was Keith trying, and failing, desperately to get the tie done. And then Shiro pressed down on the corner of the screen and it began to move. A live picture. Even better.

“That asshole.” Keith muttered as he shook his head, scrubbing his hand over his face.

“I thought it was cute.”

“Mr. Shirogane?” A man asked as he approached them.

“Yes.” Shiro said, standing up straight.

“Your table is ready.” They said simply before turning around to lead the way.

Keith hopped off the barstool and walked behind Shiro. The further into the restaurant that they got the more out of place Keith felt. The waiter led them to a corner table that sat two. When they both sat down and were given a menu Keith glanced up at Shiro. He was always better at blending into the environment than Keith. He had a way of smiling and pulling off this confident, in charge demeanor in social settings that Keith never could. Keith always had a sense of composure when he fought with the paladins or with the Blade. But social battlegrounds? Not so much. 

“I’ll just have a water.” Shiro said with an easy smile.

“Uh, me too.” Keith said when the server glanced at him. They nodded and walked off.

Keith finally looked at the menu. There were no prices listed, which wasn’t a good sign. Almost everything had a French-sounding name and the only thing he saw that even sparked familiarity was the filet mignon. 

“So, uh, know what you’re gonna get?” He asked conversationally as he looked up at Shiro. He was surprised though to see that Shiro had the same look of confusion he had been sporting just a second ago.

“Not really. To be honest, I’ve never been to this kind of place before. I just thought it might be nice to try something different. Adam always liked to go to the same places. Wasn’t much for branching out. I always wanted to eat someplace like this. Guess I just didn’t realize how… different it would really be.”

“Well, I guess at least we’ll struggle together, right?” Keith said with a smirk.

“Guess so.”

 

* * *

 

“Well, I can now say that I’ve been kicked out of a fancy-ass restaurant.” Keith said with an awkward giggle. Apparently, the guy sitting behind Shiro was a long time patron and not much of a fan of having a snail slingshot at his head. In Keith’s defense, he was aiming at Shiro who wouldn’t stop laughing at him because he gagged on the dang things. Shiro’s reflexes were just too good. 

Keith had been scared for a split second that Shiro would be mad, until he remembered that wasn’t the kind of person that Shiro was. They had both giggled the whole time they were being escorted out. He found it just as funny as Keith did. And of course he did. Keith was having to remind himself that just because they were on a date (woah) didn’t mean they were somehow different people with different expectations of one another. Shiro wasn’t in ‘leader of a bunch of teenagers mode’ or ‘battle mode’. He was just in ‘Shiro mode’. Which meant a little goofy. Keith didn’t know anyone else who appreciated dad jokes as much as Shiro did.

“Honestly, I’m kind of glad. If that appetizer was anything to go off of, I think my savings account would have been drained.” Shiro said with a laugh. They were walking down the sidewalk in no general direction. There was a hint of daylight left, the end of the summer gracing the edges of everything warm.

“Well. Got anywhere else you’d wanna eat?” Keith asked.

“Mmm. You pick. My choice was apparently terrible.”

“I mean, I’d be just as happy with a pizza and beer.”

“Pizza and beer it is. Frozen or delivery?”

“Delivery.”

“Gotcha.”

They kept walking, and a block down Keith spotted Shiro’s hoverbike. 

“Aren’t we a sight. Two dudes in suits on a bike.” Keith commented with a chuckle.

“Rather take a cab?” Shiro asked.

“Hell no.”

**Author's Note:**

> Extra long excerpt from next installment (still in progress). Note, rating goes up:
> 
> It was an easy gaze, and Keith smiled back at him.  
> And then Shiro started messing with his hair, his hand ruffling Keith’s hair with little care or grace, making chunks fall out of his ponytail.  
> “Hey!” Keith yelped, trying to swat Shiro’s hand away. But he kept rubbing his head, making his hair a frizzy mess. Shiro smiled from ear to ear as he took his hand back.  
> “Cute.” He said with a snicker at Keith’s fucked up hair. Keith glared before launching himself at Shiro and doing the same thing to his hair. Except he didn’t have just a whole lot so it was nowhere near as effective. It just gave him sex hair.  
> “Cute.” Keith mimicked. But Shiro just kept smiling at him.


End file.
